Probal Dasgupta

Probal Dasgupta, born on September nineteenth, nineteen fifty-three, is a distinguished Indian linguist and esperantist whose academic journey began at an early age. At just eighteen, he published his first article in phonology in the esteemed journal Indian Linguistics, marking the start of a prolific career in linguistics.

His doctoral dissertation, titled 'Questions and Relative and Complement Clauses in a Bangla Grammar,' completed at New York University in nineteen eighty, significantly advanced the understanding of Bangla syntax. Dasgupta's research interests span Bangla syntax, morphology, and sociolinguistics, and he has notably collaborated with Rajendra Singh to develop the substantivist approach to linguistics.

In addition to his formal linguistic work, Dasgupta has made substantial contributions to Esperanto studies and language politics. His influential book, 'The Otherness of English: India's Auntie Tongue Syndrome,' published in nineteen ninety-three, critically examines the sociolinguistic status of English in India.

Dasgupta's commitment to the Esperanto community is evident through his long-standing membership in the Akademio de Esperanto since nineteen eighty-three, where he served as vice-president from two thousand one to two thousand fifteen. He was elected president in two thousand sixteen, a role he held until two thousand nineteen, and was re-elected to serve until two thousand twenty-two. Furthermore, he presided over the Universal Esperanto Association from two thousand seven to two thousand thirteen.

His academic career includes teaching positions at several prestigious institutions, including the University of Calcutta, Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute, the University of Hyderabad, and the Indian Statistical Institute, where he led the Linguistic Research Unit from two thousand eight until his retirement in two thousand eighteen.